Legal Fund Established to Fight Imprisonment of Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower

Washington D.C., July 27, 2010 – At 4PM EST on July 27, the Bradley Manning Support Network (www.bradleymanning.org) will begin accepting online donations for the legal defense of Private First Class Bradley Manning.

The Network, a grassroots initiative formed to defend and support accused whistleblower Pfc. Bradley Manning, has partnered with Courage to Resist, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting military objectors.

Manning, a 22 year old intelligence analyst stationed in Iraq, stands accused of disclosing a classified video depicting American troops shooting civilians from an Apache helicopter in 2007. Eleven adults are killed in the video, including two Reuters employees, and two children critically injured. The video, available atwww.collateralmurder.com, was published by WikiLeaks on April 5, 2010. No charges have been filed against the soldiers in the video.

Bradley Manning faces up to 52 years in prison if convicted of the charges against him.

While news sources have speculated about Manning’s involvement in a new leak of over 90,000 secret documents (collectively known as the Afghanistan “war logs”) made public by WikiLeaks on Sunday, no charges regarding this recent breach have been filed.

As of this writing, Manning has not yet chosen a civilian attorney to defend him in the expected trial. While several news sources had previously indicated that funding for Manning’s legal counsel was already arranged, the Bradley Manning Support Network states that there is an immediate need for donations to his legal defense.

Legal defense in this case will be particularly expensive because any legal team will most likely need a background in military law and the flexibility to travel overseas for the trial as well as secret security clearance.

“We have heard from the family and the military lawyers assigned to Bradley that the cost of his defense will be significant,” said Mike Gogulski, an online activist and founder of the Bradley Manning Support Network. “We are also concerned that Bradley may choose his legal counsel based on his available funds. If he fears his family will absorb the cost of the trial, he might choose a less experienced, less expensive attorney. We’re very concerned about the ramifications of such a decision.”

The Bradley Manning Support Network passed a resolution on July 12, 2010 to begin fundraising for Manning’s legal defense. At this time, the Network estimates between $50,000 and $200,000 in legal fees and expenses will be needed to mount a vigorous defense on behalf of Manning. They have also indicated that WikiLeaks, who published and promoted the Collateral Murder video, has promised a significant donation to Manning’s defense.

“If Manning is the source of the video, then he did what he had to do to expose a possible war crime. So regardless, he’s wrongly imprisoned and we want to do everything possible to support him,” said Jeff Paterson, Project Director of Courage to Resist. “I know from past experience working with military objectors that public support and the right civilian defense team can be the difference between an administrative separation and years in the stockade.”

Bradley Manning is the young man charged with leaking classified US military information – including the video of a US Army helicopter gunning down Iraqi civilians and Reuters journalists in Iraq in 2007 that was released to the world via the whistleblower website WikiLeaks as “Collateral Murder”. Bradley is now held in isolation from the outside world, in military detention in Kuwait. Bradley, who reportedly felt un-supported in life, faces – for his alleged actions – up to 52 years imprisonment.

Could the fate of one young man have any bearing upon the fate of the world?

Standing back from the tremendous onrush of these pivotal times, is it possible to realistically gauge the significance of the Support Bradley Manning campaign to the future outcome of the world? That is the objective of this article, exploring divergent scenarios ; I’ll let my esteemed readers and the course of history be the judge. So,

What if the world abandons Bradley Manning and the cause of open, informed public debate he stands for?

After putting his life on the line to provide the public with information he felt they deserved, the fate of Bradley Manning – who is said to have felt unsupported in life anyway – would be left in the dirty hands of the US military prison system for a substantial portion of his life.

The wave of public outrage following upon WikiLeaks’ release of “Collateral Murder” would subside… and US war crimes would continue unchecked, unabated and largely unknown.

Even WikiLeaks may fade into the background noise of a world where secrecy, deception and\ corruption are rife and crimes against humanity, the earth and the future proceed in hellish haste.

But…

What if the world Supports Bradley Manning and the cause of open, informed public debate?

Global civil society would defend the actions for which Bradley Manning is charged [ie, the leaking of classified documents]; uphold the public’s right to know and demand the release of Bradley Manning and the dismissal of all charges against him: Bradley Manning would walk forth as a free man.

The “greatest leak in 40 years” [according to Daniel Ellsberg, the man who in 1971 leaked the “Pentagon Papers”, thereby fuelling public outrage over the Vietnam War] would not fade into nothingness as mute testimony to humanity’s apathy and disempowerment, but rather would open wide the floor of public debate and awareness regarding issues of war and peace.

Bradley’s iconic example and growing public awareness of the professional and secure service of whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, would open the floodgate for a deluge of whistle-blowing – as individuals everywhere, motivated by the public’s right to know, leak secret documents and classified material exposing corruption, deception and crimes against humanity – and lead to public outcry for real change.

Clearly, I’m hoping and working for the latter future scenario. And you?

Noting how when there’s “one man in chains, none are free”, a friend comments: “Bradley represents the truth-sayer in us all – if we leave him there, we abandon our own inner calling for truth”.

One pupil in Bradley’s year, who asked not to be named, said: “He was really into computers and politics, he was always online, on MSN or myspace. I think everyone I know who has been talking about it can’t actually believe they know him. I can remember he boasted about his computer skills and stuff, but you just don’t expect someone you know to be arrested for something like this.”

Appelbaum’s inspiring talk includes discussion of how Wikileaks works, the successes it’s had in the past and its plans for the immediate future. Among other topics, he discussed how Wikileaks’ publication of documentation of the causes of Iceland’s banking crisis led to the creation of the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative, which promises to make the country a haven for journalism and transparency in the internet age.

You can listen to Jacob’s hour-plus presentation online at http://drop.io/thenexthope_wikileaks/asset/ioerror-hope-wikileaks-20100717-mp3. Starting around 36:40 in the recording, he begins to address the case of Collateral Murder, Bradley Manning and the “journalist” who betrayed him — and who, according to the enthusiastic audience, shall henceforward have no name in their community. He also mentions bradleymanning.org, and has praise for the work in Manning’s support coming together here. Worth a listen, if you have the time.

Florida attorney and Bradley Manning supporter James Cerveny wrote the letter below and sent it to the editors of a number of newspapers in Florida.

Let’s hope it gets published. Letters such as these do not change public opinion or government policy overnight, but sustained campaigns have long used them as one tool in the kit that’s both cheap and potentially powerful.

Bradley Manning, currently held in a military gulag by the US government, is an American hero. His “crime” was to release to WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website, a suppressed videotape of a blatant war crime in which US soldiers chortle with glee as they gun down unarmed civilians, including children. Manning has also allegedly released numerous diplomatic cables exposing massive corruption involving US officials as well as those of the puppet government we have installed in Iraq.

The government, and Manning’s detractors, claim that the release of the video jeopardizes “national security.” This rings false, as the video is over three years old. Rather, the government is charging him under draconian laws, including a statute typically used in espionage cases, to make an example of him for embarrassing our ruling class and for breaking through the tight censorship that has been increasingly successful in shielding the American people from exposure to the harsh realities of our illegal wars of aggression.

In case it hasn’t sunk in, the man was charged with espionage for revealing information to the American people that they should be entitled to have. This is what our “republic” has come to.

Two “journalists” from Wired magazine (both convicted felons), using grossly unethical methods of selection and omission in writing their article, conspired with each other as well as the government to silence Manning and to smear him as a “traitor.” Not surprisingly, the substance of this Orwellian hit piece has been parroted unquestioningly by our sycophantic mainstream media. Readers desiring a balanced approach to the Manning story should read the excellent article by Glen Greenwald in Salon.com.

The actions of the US government in prosecuting Manning, instead of the moral cretins in the helicopter and their superiors, are those of a tyrannical state. The actions of our media in their “reporting” of the story are like those of their counterparts in North Korea.

A report from the first IRC/teleconference meeting of Bradley Manning supporters coming together via this website and the mailing list. Interested parties, please note the next meeting, tomorrow (Thursday).

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 9:11 PM, Rumi wrote:

Dear Supporters,

Today we had our first official (and extremely successful) meeting of the Save Bradley Manning Campaign. I’m glad to report we have an talented group of dedicated activists working on this issue, and they bring together a whole array of experiences and skills.

This call was very productive and incredibly inspiring. However, there is still much to be done. Please join us for our NEXT CONFERENCE CALL ON THIS THURSDAY AT 8:30 PM EASTERN/5:30 PM PACIFIC. The conference call number is +1 (661) 673-8600, Participant Access Code: 974507#. **Please be sure to check your email prior to the call in case the call-in instructions change. **

Here are some of the initiatives we will be beginning. Please review this list and think about which particular initiatives you would most like to contribute to.

1.Initiate Contact Team (Manuel) – Our organization has been unable to make contact with Bradley Manning. Manuel is spearheading the effort to contact Manning, make him aware of our efforts and find out if he needs anything.

2.Tech Team (Nadim)– We are very lucky to have a skilled group of tech geeks (I use the term lovingly) from around the world who will be ensuring that we have a secure, accessible site to exchange information and involve as many volunteers as possible on this campaign.

3.Activist Outreach Team (Manuel, others) – There are several peace groups and activists groups whose values are in alignment with our own. We will be reaching out to them in the coming week and asking for their support. Current groups include Amnesty International, Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace. **If you would like to suggest another group, please let us know. Please especially let the group know if you represent an organization that would like to support Manning.**

4.International Outreach Team (Charlotte, others) – We will be reaching out to peace groups and activist organizations internationally.

5.Social Networking Outreach Team (Rainey, Mike, others) We are coordinating a group of individuals to increase our social media presence and begin online events to support Manning.

6.Mailing List Moderation Captains (Several) – While the free exchange of ideas on the mailing list has been fun, it’s getting excessive. We’ll be putting 3 moderators in charge of the mailing list. There will be no spam or cyber bullying. We will divvy up the mailing list according to participation levels. End result: fewer complaints about too many emails. Please be patient with the mailing list for the next couple days while we get this ironed out.

7.Trust Fund – one of the most functions of our organization will be ensuring that Manning has support when we he is freed. We are very grateful to have one lawyer willing to volunteer on this issue. **If you are a lawyer or feel you can assist in this, please let us know.**

8.Media Upload - We are establishing a secure mechanism for uploading media contact information so we can pool our resources prior to our first official press release. We’ll let you know when this is ready and where to securely upload your media contacts.

9.Writers Group and Editorial Board - We will be establishing a working group of writers to publish to our blog and press release. If you have been considering working on a story, please get started on it (or at least on a proposal) now and we’ll hammer out the editorial board to ensure quality and consistency at the next meeting.

10. Wikileaks Team – We have organizers who are going to interface with Wikileaks as needed. Wikileaks is not behind our organization; we are only concerned individuals who want to speak out.

Next Steps

Our next call is in 3 days. It will be THIS THURSDAY (7/15) AT 8:30 PM EASTERN/5:30 PM PACIFIC. The conference call number is +1 (661) 673-8600, Participant Access Code: 974507#. **Please be sure to check your email prior to the call in case the call in instructions change. ** If you cannot attend, don’t worry and just try to make the next one.

I will send around an agenda prior to the call. If you have items you would like added to the agenda, please let me know.

Remember- time is of the essence. If you have been waiting to do something for Bradley Manning, then please use this as your call to action to get started. Our time is short so please don’t wait to get involved. Three things you should do today before you go to bed:

Two men of very divergent walks of life have been irrevocably connected on the stage of world history.

One is 22-year-old US Army intelligence analyst, Pfc. (formerly SPC) Bradley Manning who allegedly leaked a secret video and classified military information to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, was arrested by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command in May 2010 and is currently held in US military detention in Kuwait facing numerous charges.

The other is Julian Assange, the daring co-founder and prominent spokesperson for WikiLeaks. Dubbed by some as “the most dangerous man in the world” and by others as a super-hero of the truth movement, Julian Assange remains highly active despite having to step up his personal security measures since the Manning arrest so as to elude “prosecution or worse”.

The leaked video, published by WikiLeaks in April 2010 under the title “Collateral Murder“, shows an American attack helicopter gunning down Iraqi civilians and a Reuters camera crew in Baghdad in 2007.

Like a large stone thrown into a great pool, this significant leak is creating numerous and wide-ranging ripples.

Ripple One: It has caused a wave of public outrage, internationally but particularly within the United States, over US militarism, demonstrating the power of leaked classified material to fuel civil activism for a more just and peaceful world.

Ripple Two: A “Supporters of Bradley Manning” group has been started, bringing together a high power international team with skills and networks from independent media, law, IT and peace activism, furthering what were reportedly Manning’s hopes that the release of the videos and documents would lead to “worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms”.

Ripple Three: Significant mainstream media attention on the combat video leak brought its publisher, WikiLeaks, into the limelight. As a result, the word is out. That there exists an international public service called WikiLeaks, run by a collective of journalists and activists, that web-publishes leaked secret documents and media. That WikiLeaks protects its sources (using the most sophisticated encryption technology and basing their operations in countries such as Sweden and Belgium which have strong source protection laws). That WikiLeaks invites anyone with access to classified or confidential material that rightfully belongs in the public domain to contact them.

Will we be seeing many, many more coming forward int the manner of Attorney at Law James Ceverney, who wrote in the open email communications of the Support Group: “For a long time I have felt sickened about what is happening in this country, and I have felt guilty that my activism has been minimal. This case, however, touched a nerve in me. For me, this was the last straw. I’m ready to get off my butt and do something, anything I can, to stop this monstrous compounding of injustice upon injustice.”

A quick analysis of the present charges against Bradley Manning. I’m not a lawyer, but I can read statutes. Mentions here of WikiLeaks and the identification of the video as “Collateral Murder” are my own interpolations.

SPECIFICATION 1: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-6(k), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully introducing a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, onto his personal computer, a non-secure information system.

SPECIFICATION 2: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-6(k), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully introducing more than 50 classified United States Department of State cables onto his personal computer, a non-secure information system.

SPECIFICATION 3: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-6(k), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully introducing a classified Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation onto his personal computer, a non-secure information system.

SPECIFICATION 4: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 3 April 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-5(a)(3), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully adding unauthorized software to a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer.

CHARGE II: VIOLATION OF THE UCMJ, ARTICLE 134

SPECFICATION 1: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 5 April 2010, have unauthorized possession of photographs relating to the national defense, to wit: a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the video, or cause the video to be communicated, delivered, and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive it, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 793(e), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 2: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 5 April 2010, knowingly exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information that has been determined by the United States Government pursuant to an Executive Order or statute to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national defense, to wit: a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the video, or cause the video to be communicated, delivered and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive it, with reason to believe that such information could be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of any foreign nation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(1), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 3: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 13 January 2010 and on or about 19 February 2010, knowingly exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information that has been determined by the United States Government pursuant to an Executive Order or statute to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of foreign relations, to wit: a classified United States Department of State cable titled “Reykjavik 13,” and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the cable, or cause the cable to be communicated, delivered, and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive it, with reason to believe that such information could be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of any foreign nation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(1), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 4: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 24 May 2010, knowingly exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information that has been determined by the United States Government pursuant to an Executive Order or statute to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of foreign relations, to wit: more than 50 classified United States Department of State cables, and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the cables, or cause the cables to be communicated, delivered, and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive them, with reason to believe that such information could be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of any foreign nation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(1), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 5: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 5 April 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from the United States Department of Defense, to wit: a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 6: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 13 January 2010 and on or about 19 February 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from the United States Department of State, to wit: a classified cable titled “Reykjavik 13,” in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 7: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, on divers occasions, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from an the United States Department of State, to wit: more than 150,000 diplomatic cables, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 8: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, on divers occasions, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from the United States Department of Defense, to wit: a classified Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.